MTV, Microsoft feel the URGE to unite, sell music

MTV is set to launch a music download service, developed and marketed in …

There's a new player on the field of legal music downloads, and it's a familiar face. The new service is called URGE, and is backed by MTV Networks in a joint development project with Microsoft. Thanks to the Redmond connection, Urge will be the default music service in the next version of Windows Media Player, set for a Wednesday release date shared by Urge. If Google is right about the power of defaults, that could prove to be a lucrative partnership for MTV.

It looks like the hope is for the sauce of the MTV brand name, with all the marketing power that comes with running several music networks on cable TV, to mix with the Microsoft defaultitude, and it will make a good Goulash, baby. There is nothing spectacular about the offerings—2 million songs in the library, buy them for US$0.99 each or $9.95 per album, or subscribe à la Rhapsody and Napster for $14.95/month. No word on the quality of the subscription files, though the permanent-license downloads are said to be 192kbps WMA files.

Of course, there is no iPod compatibility, and MTV is hoping to expand the existing market by virtue of its brand power and marketing reach. Companies like Creative and iRiver would love to see user inertia and/or a quality service leading this music delivery option to a healthy start. It looks like this could be a real test of Apple's true market power, as product placement in shows like MTV Spring Break in the Second Circle of Hell, VH1 Presents: Top 100 Retiree Rockers and CMT's Rootingest, Tootingest Grand Ole Opry Hoedown could bring in serious traffic.

The feature that sets this service apart from the competition (other than branding) seems to be a user-friendly song management and recommendation system—which we expect to be similar to the beta recommendation features being tested at the iTunes Music Store. Descriptions from early testers sound like something Netflix could have developed, with recommendations made from your individual usage patterns, but also taking trends in the broader population into account. There will also be playlists and Internet radio stations prepared for various musical tastes and linked directly to hubs built around CMT, VH1, and various popular MTV shows. MTV has also seeded the field with blogs run by what the company calls "respected music bloggers." No names have been provided yet. Finally, because this is MTV, some exclusive content such as MTV Unplugged and TRL performances will be made available for streaming or download.

Will these features be enough to entice iPod users to abandon their beloved players in favor of Urge-compatible alternatives? That might not matter in the end. iPods control 70 percent of the music gadget industry today, but only 6 percent of all music sold in the US was purchased as a legal download last year. There is plenty of room for competitors to bypass Apple entirely, if only they have the muscle to create their own audience. MTV riding the Microsoft beast might just be strong enough to do exactly that. I'm keeping my PlaysForSure-compatible Creative Zen handy in case a revolution is coming.